[NHK Culture] A Chance to Broaden Your Knowledge! Enjoy a Hand-Picked English Masterpiece Every Month!
NHK Culture Center is launching an online book club course led by a renowned American literature scholar.
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- 📰 Published: March 29, 2026 at 23:28
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: May 26, 2026 at 21:27 (1389h 58m after Published)
Professor Koji Toko, Professor at the Faculty of Letters, Arts and Sciences, Waseda University, and American Literature Scholar
Online - Click here for details
― From 'reading' masterpieces to 'discussing' them ―
We are launching an online course led by Professor Koji Toko, a scholar of American literature who gained attention for his clear explanations and appeared as an advisor on NHK E-tele's '100 Minutes to Masterpieces: Hemingway Special'.
In this course, Professor Toko will carefully explain one work each month, covering the historical background in which it was created, the author's ideas, and key points of interest. It will also be in a 'book club' format, where participants can freely share their impressions, questions, and insights.
It's a time to share discoveries like 'Is that how it can be read?' or 'I never thought of it that way.' Since it's held online, you can participate from anywhere in the country. No specialized knowledge of literary research is required. This course is highly recommended for those who want to 'challenge themselves with a masterpiece' or 're-experience a work they couldn't finish alone'.
The interactions that arise precisely because it's a small, interactive group are also a unique charm of this course. Why not enjoy literature as 'living words' with Professor Toko and your fellow participants?
*All lectures will be conducted in Japanese.
■ Text
Ben Marcus, ed. New American Stories. Vintage, 2015
Please purchase it yourself at bookstores or online (Kindle version also acceptable).
■ Course Content (Planned - All 12 sessions)
2026
① April 8 (Wed) Robert Coover, “Going for a Beer”
② May 13 (Wed) Rachel B. Glaser, “Pee on Water”
③ June 3 (Wed) Kyle Coma-Thompson, “The Lucky Boy”
④ July 1 (Wed) NoViolet Bulawayo, “Shhhh”
⑤ August 5 (Wed) Mathias Svalina, “Play”
⑥ September 2 (Wed) Zadie Smith, “Meet the President”
⑦ October 7 (Wed) Rivka Galchen, “The Lost Order”
⑧ November 4 (Wed) Tao Lin, “Love is a Thing on Sale for More Money Than There Exists”
⑨ December 2 (Wed) Joy Williams, “The Country”
2027
⑩ January 6 (Wed) Kelly Link , “Valley of the Girls”
⑪ February 10 (Wed) Anthony Doerr, “The Deep”
⑫ March 10 (Wed) Yiyun Li, “A Man Like Him”
1 year...
Online - Click here for details
― From 'reading' masterpieces to 'discussing' them ―
We are launching an online course led by Professor Koji Toko, a scholar of American literature who gained attention for his clear explanations and appeared as an advisor on NHK E-tele's '100 Minutes to Masterpieces: Hemingway Special'.
In this course, Professor Toko will carefully explain one work each month, covering the historical background in which it was created, the author's ideas, and key points of interest. It will also be in a 'book club' format, where participants can freely share their impressions, questions, and insights.
It's a time to share discoveries like 'Is that how it can be read?' or 'I never thought of it that way.' Since it's held online, you can participate from anywhere in the country. No specialized knowledge of literary research is required. This course is highly recommended for those who want to 'challenge themselves with a masterpiece' or 're-experience a work they couldn't finish alone'.
The interactions that arise precisely because it's a small, interactive group are also a unique charm of this course. Why not enjoy literature as 'living words' with Professor Toko and your fellow participants?
*All lectures will be conducted in Japanese.
■ Text
Ben Marcus, ed. New American Stories. Vintage, 2015
Please purchase it yourself at bookstores or online (Kindle version also acceptable).
■ Course Content (Planned - All 12 sessions)
2026
① April 8 (Wed) Robert Coover, “Going for a Beer”
② May 13 (Wed) Rachel B. Glaser, “Pee on Water”
③ June 3 (Wed) Kyle Coma-Thompson, “The Lucky Boy”
④ July 1 (Wed) NoViolet Bulawayo, “Shhhh”
⑤ August 5 (Wed) Mathias Svalina, “Play”
⑥ September 2 (Wed) Zadie Smith, “Meet the President”
⑦ October 7 (Wed) Rivka Galchen, “The Lost Order”
⑧ November 4 (Wed) Tao Lin, “Love is a Thing on Sale for More Money Than There Exists”
⑨ December 2 (Wed) Joy Williams, “The Country”
2027
⑩ January 6 (Wed) Kelly Link , “Valley of the Girls”
⑪ February 10 (Wed) Anthony Doerr, “The Deep”
⑫ March 10 (Wed) Yiyun Li, “A Man Like Him”
1 year...